Wearable fitness activity devices such as fitness trackers have been one of the biggest health-monitoring technology innovations of the decade. And among the high-tech activity tracker brands available in the market today, there are quite a few gadgets that stand out. I had the chance to use a couple of them within a year, but there’s one in particular I recently checked out: Jawbone UP2.

The UP2 compared to its competitors is at par with its stylish look, good performance, and weight. But what sets it apart from the race is its affordability. It’s a good fitness tool with the ability to track your activities, monitor your sleep and motivate you to make healthy choices. So what’s new with the UP2 tracker? Well, it still has the essentials that made Jawbone a popular brand.

Activity Tracker
UP2’s Activity Tracker can count your steps, compute the distance and calculate the number of calories you burn. It’s always a good motivator to push you into adding more effort to your activities. Another feature is the Idle Alert that you can setup to vibrate and alarm you when you haven't moved in a while. So having busy hours is not an excuse anymore if you set it to remind you of your inactivity. I’d say with this feature, laziness is definitely out.

Sleep Tracking
The band also has a reliable Sleep Tracking feature that tracks your sleep automatically which wasn’t the case with the older models. UP2 can detect sleep quality as well as its duration with an ability to identify when you’re awake, or whether you’re in a light or deep sleep. It will also give you the total number of hours you actually slept soundly. And of course there’s the vibrating alarm function especially for people having problems getting out of bed and relying on a smart phone’s alarm clock. Now you don’t need to bother your roommate with your loud alarm.

Smart Coach
Smart Coach is another cool thing that makes the device very personal – it’s like a private coach that advises you to choose healthy and follow helpful tips. The secret to maximizing this feature is to always wear your UP2 so it will kind of remember your activities and patterns, and give you more personalized coaching for your overall health.

The Drawbacks
Like any other fitness trackers and fitness bands in the market UP2 is of course not perfect plus it is created for a different group of users. It doesn’t have a heart rate monitor which is available in another Jawbone model making UP2 just really an app for step and sleep. In addition, this tracker is just splash-proof and not waterproof, so say no to swimming! Lastly, many users also find the design, especially the clasp, not secure enough to hold the wrist. And so Jawbone created another UP2 design which answers this issue of wearability. I was able to check out the newer design with two thin straps and a better clasp (hook) that holds more securely. I’d say that the new design is totally edgy!

Overall, I like UP2 because of the detailed (and almost accurate) activity report and the motivational factor. The 7 days battery life is good enough, considering that it only takes an hour to fully charge it. Of course there are plenty of powerful fitness bands in the market today but UP2 wins first place in affordability and above average sleep and steps tracking performance. Check it out and see for yourself.

Reviewed by: Global Innovations Editorial Team